


Feather, Scale and Song

by Azriella_Helsing



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Additional trigger warnings by chapter, Also thoughts of suicide and worthlessness, Barry is an ass, But then Zoom and Eobard make it better, But there again, Eddie Thawne Lives, F/M, Goes through season 1 by episode if I have the patience, It'll make sense eventually, Might do Eddie/Iris/Barry as a couple, Multi, OC is a meta, OC is dating his mom's killer, Rewrite of Fanfic.net's version, Slowburn I think, Trigger warnings for coerced jumping, and has multiple personalities ish, ish, which i wrote
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-01-13 10:54:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18467500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azriella_Helsing/pseuds/Azriella_Helsing
Summary: Eobard and OC fall in love, Zoom shows up, and Barry Allen is an ass.That about covers it.





	1. Chapter 1: Pre-season 1

**Author's Note:**

> Some OOC-ness here, but the story mostly follows canon, or what I think canon should be.

She shifted her dark skirt, smoothing her dress for the umpteenth time. The walls were either white or made of glass. She was torn between wanting to take crayons to the walls and feeling overly exposed. Bile rose in her throat and she wondered if her breath smelled bad, despite the three breath mints she’d had already.

            _Also_ , she thought bitterly, _you would think in a multibillion dollar company, they would have nicer chairs._ It was true that, despite a thorough K-12 education and thus plenty of experience with hard plastic chairs, her ass was starting to get sore. She glanced up at the ceiling. _Again with the glass and the non-offensive white._

            She had been waiting in STAR Labs for her job appointment for over fifteen minutes now. That meant her hopefully-soon-to-be-new-boss was five minutes late, as she had arrived ten minutes early. It was only five minutes, there was still plenty of time for him to get there, right? At least, that was what she had been telling herself to fight off the rising panic growing inside her. She had been grinding her teeth without realizing it for the past three minutes. Realizing it now, she attempted to desist.

            _The accelerator is supposed to go online in two weeks. Maybe they decided they didn’t need me after all-?_

            No sooner than this worrisome thought occurred to her, than the elevator across from her dinged. Out stepped Harrison Wells himself. Her mild panic morphed into full-blown, mindless terror. _Shit. Shit. Shit_. He was looking at her and walking in her direction. She stood, too nervous to sit still.

            “Hello, I am Dr. Harrison Wells. I thought I would oversee your interview today.” He looked at her expectantly, so she forced herself to speak.

            “Of-of course. Hi. I mean, hello, I mean- sorry.” She stuttered.

            “What for, you are Britney Stuart, applying for the new internship position, correct?” Dr. Wells asked.

            “Yes, yes, that’s me.” She said quickly.

            He looked at her for a moment, then turned to the receptionist.

            “Where is Dr. Snow?” He asked pleasantly.

            “Right behind you, Dr. Wells!” said a friendly, albeit cool voice behind him.

            “And Cisco?” Dr. Wells asked.

            “Also right behind you, Dr. Wells.” Said a warmer voice from behind Dr. Snow.

            “Very good. If you three will come with me.” Dr. Wells said before walking away.

            Britney followed, Dr. Snow falling into step with her and Cisco bringing up the rear. The four of them stepped into a small room with four chairs, three on one side, one on the other. It seemed made for the express purpose of making Britney nervous.

            “So, Britney,” said Dr. Wells after everyone had been seated, “I’m going to be honest with you. Despite our stellar reputation at STAR Labs, we have had very few applicants, and even fewer who lasted longer than a week. Tell me, why are you any different?”

            “I-um- I… I really need this internship for college credit and I’m really passionate about organizing and helping people and-“

            Dr. Wells pinched the bridge of his nose. He was obviously irritated with her response, while Dr. Snow and Cisco merely looked amused.

            “I meant, what makes you any different from any of the other candidates we have looked at?” he said brusquely.

            “I honestly don’t know. I mean, I can listen and follow directions and I- I’m sorry, but I’m kinda distracted by how awesome Cisco’s shirt is.” She said, grasping at anything that might help her.

            Cisco grinned. “Nice! A 2016 Ghostbusters fan! I mean,” he said as Dr. Wells glared at him, “not nice…?”

            “If you cannot focus for a simple interview, why should I hire you at all?” Dr. Wells demanded.

            “Because, like you said, no intern’s lasted more than a week with you and if you had anyone else to look at, you would have thrown me out of the office already.” Britney said. She had no idea what made her say that, except she was so nervous she was ready to snap.

            “So, you’re saying we’re desperate?” Dr. Wells asked. He was smiling now. It was the sort of cat-caught-the-canary smile that lets the other person know that they are fucked if they give the wrong answer. Britney squared her shoulders, looked Harrison Wells in the eye and said,

            “Yes.”

            Dr. Wells’ smile grew. “I’ll see you Monday morning, 8AM, sharp. Also, bring donuts. The company will reimburse you later.”

            “How-how many donuts do you need?”

            Dr. Wells turned to Cisco. “Two dozen should be enough?”

            Cisco shook his head. “Better make it three.”

            Dr. Wells nodded and turned back to Britney. “Three dozen.”

            “Oh-Ok! Thank you so much Dr. Wells-!”

            “The door is that way,” he said, a bit gentler this time.

            “Right.” She gathered her things and made for the door.

            “Oh, and Britney?” he said.

            “Yes?”

            “Welcome to the company.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm just re-uploading the first few chapters of FF.net's version rn, but I'll be rewriting chapters soon!

"Dr. Wells, you need to get to the Cortex, like, right now." Britney heard Cisco's voice over the STAR Labs Intercom. Wait. STAR Labs intercom? What-?

Then she remembered. The particle accelerator! It had gone terribly wrong and-

She remembered a flash of light, like a force field, coming closer and closer. She remembered pain. But then, was she dead? No, she couldn't be, could she? But then…?

She registered movement beside her and something warm was taken out of her hand. She tried to close her fingers on it, because she was so cold, but her fingers wouldn't obey her. Panic began to rise in her chest. Was she dead? No… no, she couldn't be dead, could she? She felt like she was lying on something kinda soft, but with something hard underneath it, like metal. And maybe blankets? There was something that felt scratchy against her sensitive skin. She wasn't dead, then, just paralyzed for the moment. Panic rose in her again. What if this was permanent? What if she were stuck like this, forever listening to that damn EKG machine? What if-?

 _It's not permanent, calm down_. A voice echoed from the recesses of her mind.

 _Who-who are you?_  Britney asked timidly.

 _You don't recognize the voice of your conscience?_  The female voice asked in a tone of amusement.

 _Azriella? My imaginary friend?_  Britney asked.

 _The one and only. But don't fret. You will wake and will be able to move soon enough._  Replied Azriella.  _In the meantime, I would suggest singing to yourself_.

_What should I sing?_

_Something lively._

Britney obeyed.

After a while, Britney felt herself twitch. That was encouraging. She heard voices in the hallway outside. She tried to call out, but the voices moved on, and she wasn't sure she had actually vocalized anything.

 _Be_   _patient_. Azriella ordered.  _You've been in a coma for nine months, you're not going to recover in ten minutes. Easy does it._

So, Britney waited, singing to herself some more.

Some ten minutes later, or as near to ten minutes as she could figure, a squeak sounded by her bed. Something warm slipped into her hand again.

"Britney," Dr. Wells' soft voice sounded beside her, "I am sorry about what happened to you that night. I will do  _everything_  in my power to make it up to you. Please, please wake up."

Britney felt her eyelashes flutter of their own accord, a single tear streamed down her face. The warm thing in her hand tightened around said hand.

"Britney? Britney, can you hear me? Britney?" Dr. Wells' voice seemed intensified somehow, despite not picking up in volume.

"Dr. Wells?" Cisco's voice called from the hallway, "shouldn't we be focusing our attention on Barry right now?"

Barry? Who was Barry? Britney instantly felt herself grow jealous. Dr. Wells apparently did not like the question either, because Cisco's reply was a muttered, "Right, sorry." And receding footsteps.

"Britney?" Dr. Wells' voice was even softer now, but was still laced with an edge of desperation. "Britney, please wake up."

_Azzie? Can I wake up now? He sounds worried for some reason._

_I will help you._

With Azriella's assistance, Britney was finally able to open her eyes. The face of Harrison Wells greeted her. He was sitting beside her, his hand in hers. Wait, sitting? Was that a-?

"Yeah, I'm in a wheelchair now. It happened the same night you went into a coma." Dr. Wells said, noticing her staring.

"I-" Britney's voice cracked and felt mumble-y. "I'm sorry, Dr. Wells-"

"No, Britney, I alone am responsible for putting myself in this chair. I earned the blame and I'm not interested in sharing it."

"I still shouldn't have stared. I'm sorry."

Dr. Wells scoffed. He squeezed her hand and let go.

"I'll have Caitlin come in and have a look at you." He said, then began to wheel away.

"Dr. Wells?" she called after him.

"Yes?"

"Thank you," said Britney, "for not letting me wake up alone, that is."

"You're welcome." Dr. Wells smiled at her. "But you need a doctor and some rest. I'll leave you alone, for the time being."

Caitlin came in a while later, but she wasn't the vibrant Dr. Snow, the ice queen with the sunlight glittering out of her that she remembered. This Caitlin had a blank expression, terrible bedside manner, and dead brown eyes.

"Caitlin?" Britney finally ventured to ask. "Is everything all right?"

"My once promising career in bioengineering is over. My boss is in a wheelchair for life, and the explosion that put you in a coma killed Ronnie, so no, everything is not all right."

"I'm sorry." Britney responded sincerely.

"It's not your fault. It's nobody's fault." Caitlin seemed determined to defend Dr. Wells. Changing the subject, Caitlin said, "You have a mostly clean bill of health. Just a little more rest and some food and you should be back on your feet next week." Caitlin turned to go.

"Dr. Snow?" Britney called after her, "How long was I out?"

"Nine months." Caitlin left the room.

Nine months? How could Azriella have been so accurate?

_Don't worry about it for now. Concentrate on getting better, and I promise I will explain everything later._

So, Britney, having nothing else to do, went back to sleep. Eventually.

(Page Break)

When Britney woke up, she heard arguing.

"There is no way he can run that fast." Cisco was saying.

"Well, let's do some tests and see what happens. Besides, he may create sonic booms if he runs as fast as he says he can." Dr. Wells' voice replied.

"That would be awesome!" Cisco said excitedly.

Britney looked over to the entryway to her "bedroom" at STAR Labs. Caitlin had not given her the green light to go home yet and she woke up often on her uncomfortable bed. Dr. Wells and Cisco were moving past her entryway now, clearly not having noticed she was awake. She tossed off her sheets and padded after them, barefoot. She was colder than she had been under the thin blankets. The floor beneath her feet felt like ice, but she continued in her pursuit regardless.

"Anyway, even if he is crazy, this may be our only chance to do tests on him. He refused the tests earlier, remember?" Dr. Wells continued.

"Hey, what are we talking about?" Britney asked, figuring her loud steps had already given her away.

"Nothing you need concern yourself with, Ms. Stuart." Dr. Wells replied. "Shouldn't you be in bed?" he continued.

Britney fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "I can't sleep and I got curious, sorry."

"Curiosity makes for an excellent scientific mind, Ms. Stuart, but I do caution restraint." Dr. Wells said, a small hint of amusement in his voice.

"Why can't you sleep?" Cisco asked.

"The bed you guys gave me is kinda uncomfortable. I don't know who designs these things-"

"I do." Cisco interrupted. "What, you don't like my work?"

"I'm sure your work is fine, Cisco." Dr. Wells responded, saving Britney further embarrassment.

"We were just discussing Barry Allen," Dr. Wells continued, "He thinks he can run pretty fast."

"Oh, ok." Said Britney.

"Now,  _you_ , should get to bed until Caitlin clears you to go home."

"Sure thing, Dr. Wells!" Britney said, giving him a silly salute as she turned away.

 _Really_? She thought to herself.

(Page Break)

"He had a  _what_  that healed  _when_?" Britney exclaimed.

Caitlin almost smiled. Dr. Wells was definitely smiling.

"We're going to give him the results right now, you wanna come with?" Cisco asked.

"No thanks. I think all of us in the room might overwhelm him. Maybe I could go for a burger run?" Britney asked, looking askance at Caitlin.

"You most certainly may not!" Caitlin exclaimed. "You need more rest!"

Britney sighed, then bid everyone goodbye and headed toward the STAR Labs bedroom. About twenty minutes later, Dr. Wells knocked on her open door.

"May I come in?" he asked.

"Sure, I mean, it is your building, isn't it? That sounded a lot less rude in my head, I'm sorry-"

Dr. Wells put up a hand to silence her. "Quite all right," he said, "I wanted to ask you something."

"OK, shoot." Said Britney.

"Are you, by any chance, jealous of Barry Allen?" Dr. Wells asked.

"What, me? Jealous? Of course not!" Britney lied.

Dr. Wells gave her the I-am-not-buying-it look.

"Well, maybe a little-"

Still not buying it, his look said.

"All right, I'm jealous, but can you blame me? He heals a bone fracture in three hours and runs at super speed-"

"That's not why you're jealous, would you mind being honest with me?" Dr. Wells asked, starting to get impatient.

"It's just… I know this is going to sound terrible, but he's already so close with all of you and I- I don't have many friends. I know you were there for me when I woke up, but…" Britney trailed off.

Dr. Wells tilted his head to one side and down while raising an eyebrow.

"Well," he said, "I feel responsible for putting you in that coma Ms. Stuart-"

"You know," she ventured boldly, "Before the accelerator went all to hell, you were starting to call me Britney."

"Britney," he continued, "I am truly sorry. I just thought, after everything, formality was the way to go. I'm sorry for putting you in a coma. I'm sorry for seeming a bit formal. I promise, on my life, I will make it up to you. Look, if you ever need to talk, I'm always here for you."

"Thank you, Dr. Wells."

"My pleasure," he said, before leaving the sap fest.

(Page break)

"I wasn't the only one affected by the particle accelerator explosion was I?!" Barry walked in furiously.

"Hello again, Barry. This is Britney. I know you two haven't met yet-" Dr. Wells began.

"Introductions can wait!" yelled Barry. "You said the city was safe, that there was no residual danger! But that's not true, so what really happened that night?"

Cisco and Caitlin refused to look at Barry.

"Maybe we should calm down and talk this out-" Britney began, disturbed from all the yelling.

"This is me talking it out! What happened that night?" Barry demanded.

"Well, the accelerator went active. We all felt like heroes, and then… it all went wrong. The dimensional barrier ruptured… unleashing unknown energies into our world. Antimatter, dark matter, X elements-" Wells explained.

"Those are all theoretical." Barry refused to believe it.

"And how theoretical are you? We mapped the dispersion throughout and around Central City, though we have no idea what or who was exposed. We've been searching for other meta-humans like yourself." Britney could see that Wells was starting to lose his patience. She suspected that, like her, Dr. Wells did not appreciate being shouted at.

"Meta-humans?" Barry asked.

"That's what we're calling them." Said Caitlin.

"I saw one today. He's a bank robber. He can control the weather." Said Barry.

"This just keeps getting cooler." Said Cisco breathlessly.

"This is not cool! Alright? A man died!" Barry exclaimed.

Cisco's smile dropped.

"Marden must have gotten his powers the same way I did," Barry continued, "From the storm cloud. He's still out there! We have to stop him before he hurts anyone else."

"Barry, that's a job for the police." Dr. Wells said.

"I work for the police."

"As a forensic assistant."

"You're responsible for this. For him."

"What's important is you!" For maybe the second time since she had known him, Dr. Wells raised his voice. "Not me," he continued more quietly. "I lost everything. I lost my company. I lost my reputation. I lost my freedom. " Dr. Wells clenched his fist, then jabbed his finger at Barry. "And then you broke your arm and it healed in three hours! Inside your body could be a map to a whole new world. Genetic therapies, vaccines, medicines, treasures buried deep within your cells. And we cannot risk it all because you want to go out and play hero! You're not a hero. You're just a young man who was struck by lightning."

Barry turned, then left in a huff.

There was a very pregnant pause and then, Britney had to ask.

"Dr. Wells?"

"Yeah?" He replied.

"Am I- I was put into a coma by the particle accelerator too, am I one of these... these meta-humans?"

"It's possible. Your DNA was altered by the explosion, but not enough to show on our preliminary tests. We had to run extra tests on you to make sure." Dr. Wells put his hands behind his head and studied her.

"But I can't control the weather or run really fast…"

"It is possible that any powers of yours simply have yet to manifest. Please, let us know if anything unusual happens."

"Sure thing, Dr. Wells. Caitlin, are you sure I can't go on a burger run? I'm starving."

"Fine," Caitlin gave in. "Take Cisco with you."

"Why do I have to go?" Cisco asked slowly, confusion in his voice.

"To make sure she doesn't faint. And I don't want her driving, either!"

"All right." Cisco replied.

"So, what does everyone want? I think we're going to Big Belly Burger."

"Just get the usual for us, Britney." Caitlin said.

"Ok then!" Britney replied after receiving a confirmation nod from Dr. Wells.

Shortly after they all finished eating, Barry came back, this time much calmer. He set down several boxes and laid out a map of Central City.

"I've been going over unsolved cases in the last nine months, and there's been a sharp increase in unexplained deaths and missing people. Your meta-humans have been busy. I'm not blaming you. I know you didn't mean for any of this to happen. I know you all lost something. But I need your help to catch Marden and anyone else out there like him. I can't do it without you." Barry said.

"If we're gonna do this, I have something that might help." Cisco grinned, then walked to his lab. Britney, Caitlin and Barry followed.

"Something I've been playing with." Cisco spun around a dummy on an upright steel slab wearing what appeared to be a red leather suit. "It's designed to replace the turnouts firefighters usually wear. I thought if STAR Labs did something nice, maybe people wouldn't be so angry at Dr. Wells." He explained to Britney's questioning look.

"How is it gonna help me?" asked Barry.

"It's made of a reinforced tri-polymer. It's heat and abrasive resistant so it should withstand your moving at high-velocity speeds. And the aerodynamic design should help you maintain control. Plus, it has built in sensors so we can track your vitals and stay in contact with you from here." Said Cisco.

"Thanks," said Barry, "How do we find Marden?"

"I re-tasked the STAR Labs satellite to track meteorological abnormalities," said Caitlin while tapping on a tablet. "We just got a ping. Atmospheric pressure dropped 20 millibars in a matter of seconds. I've tracked it to a farm just west of the city."

Barry nodded and took another look at the suit before taking off in a flash of yellow lightning.

"Barry!" said Cisco from the Cortex, "Barry can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear!" replied Barry, shouting over the wind.

"If this keeps up, it could become an F-5 tornado."

"And it's headed towards the city! How do I stop it? Guys?!"

"What if he ran around it in the opposite direction?" asked Britney.

"That won't work-" Caitlin began.

"What if I ran around it in the opposite direction?" asked Barry, clearly not having heard the prior conversation.

"He'd have to clock 700 mph to do that." Said Cisco.  
"Your body may not be able to handle those speeds, you could die." Caitlin informed Barry.

"I have to try," called Barry.

So, Barry tried.

"Told you the suit would hold up!" Crowed Cisco.

"But he isn't." Snapped Caitlin.

"He can do it. I know he can do it." Replied Cisco.

"It's too strong!" called Barry.

"You can do this Barry," said Dr. Wells, appearing out of literally nowhere like the sexy shade master that he was. "You were right. I am responsible for all of this. So many people have been hurt because of me, and when I looked at you, all I saw was another potential victim of my hubris. And yes, I created this madness, but you, Barry, you can stop it. Now run, Barry, run!"

The sound of whooshing and groaning filled the Cortex, then stopped.

"Barry!" Called Caitlin.

"Barry!" She called again, after a pause.

"It's over. I'm okay." Everyone smiled in relief. Everyone except Britney, but no one noticed. Or so she thought.

"Britney? You okay?" asked Dr. Wells.

"I'm fine, I just- I think I should go for another burger run. Guy's gotta work up an appetite running that fast." She looked over at Cisco. "Celebratory burger run?"

Cisco grinned. "Celebratory Burger Run!"


	3. TW: COerced Jumping off a building

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning in title. Also, revelations are revealing.

"Barry! Barry!" Cisco yelled at his tablet.

"Did I miss it?" Barry yelled back over the coms.

"You overshot by about six blocks." Cisco walked back over to the Cortex station.

"My bad."

"Who are you talking to?" asked Caitlin.

"No one." Said Cisco shiftily.

"Were you talking to Barry?" inquired Caitlin pointedly.

"Who?" Cisco tried to bluff.

"Barry Allen, struck by lightning, was in a coma for nine months, woke up able to run faster than the speed of sound? Ring a bell?" interrogated Caitlin.

"Nope. Haven't talked to him." Lied Cisco.

"Cisco, there's fire everywhere! Cisco can you hear me?!" screamed Barry.

"Busted." Said Britney in a singsong voice from her designated corner. Not that anyone heard her, or seemed to care if they did.

"Everyone's out. Cisco, what else you got for me?" Britney could hear the stupid grin in Barry's voice.

"Barry, its Caitlin."

"Heyyy, Caitlin. How's your day?" asked Barry innocently.

"Get back to STAR Labs. Now." Caitlin barked.

"On my way."

"OOOOOOOHHHH! Barry's in trouble~!" said Britney from the corner.

"Shut up." Said Caitlin.

Barry Allen arrived shortly thereafter. It did not take long for Caitlin to start yelling.

"Have you three lost your minds?"

"Hey, I wasn't part of this. I told them it was a bad idea." Said Britney, but Caitlin ignored her.

"Who do you think you are?" Caitlin asked the two boys.

"Well, I'm the eyes and ears and he's the feet." Said Cisco.

"You can't be running around the city like some supersonic fireman!" shouted Caitlin.

"Why not? This is what we talked about. Me using my speed to do good."

"If what you're doing is so good, why did you and Cisco try to hide it?" asked Britney.

"We talked about using your speed to help find and contain meta-humans, and aside from Clyde Mardon, we haven't found  _any_."

"People in this city still need help and I can help them."

"Will you please say something?" Caitlin asked Dr. Wells.

"I think what Caitlin is saying, in her own spectacularly angry way, is that we're just beginning to understand what your body is capable of." Said Dr. Wells as he wheeled into the room. "Not to sound like a broken record Mr. Allen, I do caution restraint." Dr. Wells came to a stop.

"Dr. Wells," Barry looked like he was gearing up to say something stupid, "I doubt restraint is how you got to be where you are today."

 _Fucking called it!_  Thought Britney.

"In a wheelchair and a pariah. LACK OF RESTRAINT is what made me these things. Know your limits." Dr. Wells wheeled off.

Britney went after him, but still heard Caitlin's "Don't expect me to patch you up every time you break something," to Barry. Britney had almost caught up to Dr. Wells when Caitlin's stomping heels beat her to him.

"Are you alright, Dr. Wells?" Caitlin asked.

Given that Britney was about to ask the same question, she decided to back off and give the two of them space after a quiet, "I'm fine, Dr. Snow," was uttered by her boss.

"Britney." Dr. Wells called after her, "Was there something you wanted to speak to me about?"

Britney went scarlet. "I just-um, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I guess you are, so I'll just," she pointed over her shoulder, "go."

Dr. Wells smiled. "Thank you both for your concern."

Britney didn't know what to say to that, so she just smiled awkwardly in acknowledgement as Dr. Wells wheeled away again.

"You've got it bad." Said Caitlin.

"What do you mean?" asked Britney.

Caitlin was smiling now, albeit sadly. "You're in love with Dr. Wells."

"You know?" Britney gasped.

"It's kinda hard to miss." Replied Caitlin.

"Do you think  _he_  knows?" asked Britney timidly.

"He's probably waiting for you to make a move, so  _make_  one! Ask him out!" Caitlin urged.

"Oh, no, I-I couldn't-"  
"Britney," Caitlin said seriously, "life is too short not to be with the people you love."

"I- I just can't." Britney said. "I need time."

"Time for what?" asked Caitlin.

"Just time." Britney said. She was spared the awkwardness of running away by Caitlin storming off in a huff.

 _Time to continue your training_. Said Azriella.

 _What training? You still haven't explained everything to me yet._  Retorted Britney.

 _All in good time, patience_. Cautioned Azriella.

 _Come on_. Whined Britney.

 _Training. Now_. Azriella replied.

 _What am I going to do for training?_  Asked Britney.

 _You're gonna jump off a building and then you're gonna fly_. Was the response.

_Pfft. I'm not gonna do that._

_You don't have any choice_.

Suddenly, Britney's limbs no longer belonged to her. She found herself headed up to the roof of STAR Labs. She screamed inside her head, but could not stop. Sheer terror froze up her body of its own accord.

 _Oh, honestly_. Said Azriella.  _Have I been wrong yet?_

_No._

_Then you're just going to have to trust me, aren't you?_

She was on the roof of STAR Labs.

_If this doesn't work-_

_It will._

_If this doesn't work, it was a privilege knowing you_. Britney continued.

 _Catch you on the flip side_.

Britney knew that if she hesitated now, even to take a breath, that she would never go through with it. This was one of the only things stopping her from suicide anyway that if she even thought of taking her own life, she froze. So, Britney ran forward and jumped.

She had no breath, but what little she would have had would have been taken away. She felt a tingly sort of pain all over her skin. The ground blurred in a cloud of red lightning. When she could see again, she was in a white room covered with hemispheres. Dr. Wells' wheelchair was in the corner. The doctor himself loomed over her. He looked enraged.

"What were you thinking, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? I told you if you were having problems you could come to me. Why, why would you even consider taking your own life?!"

Britney felt Azriella bubble to the surface. Dr. Wells took a step back, his eyes widening as hers turned red.

"She wasn't trying to kill herself. This was simply a training exercise. Had you not caught her, she would have flown." Explained Azriella.

"To whom am I speaking?" asked Dr. Wells, scientific curiosity getting the better of him.

"She calls me Azriella van Helsing. I am an alternate version of her who can travel between dimensions and keep my other selves company."

"So you could do this before the particle accelerator?" Asked Dr. Wells, sharp as a tie tack.

"Yes. But the particle accelerator made things easier." Replied Azriella.

"Can you do anything else?" queried Dr. Wells.

"Yes. As I am a hybrid creature of dragon and siren, I can both fly and sing. Unfortunately, for me to be able to share these abilities with my other selves, there needs to be a biochemical catalyst. Adrenaline, of course, being the easiest." Rattled off Azriella.

"May I speak to Britney?" Dr. Wells asked.

"Go ahead. She can hear everything we are saying and she has some questions of her own."

"Britney," Dr. Wells asked, "Are you… comfortable with this arrangement?"

"Yes, Dr. Wells. It feels as though I finally have a friend." Britney replied.

Dr. Wells sighed. "I suppose I can answer your questions now."

"You can walk?"

"Obviously."

"How?"

"I wasn't paralyzed by the particle accelerator."

"Then why-?"

"Why the charade? I need the wheelchair to sort of 'charge' my abilities. They come and go. Think of it as a battery pack."

"Abilities?"

"I have almost the exact same powers as the Flash."

"The Flash?"

"That's what people in the future call Barry Allen."

"The future?"

"I'm from the 25th Century to be exact."

"And you're just like the Flash?"

"Oh, I'm not like the Flash at all. Some would say I'm the reverse."

"The Reverse-Flash?" Britney tested out.

Dr. Wells smirked. "I kind of like that name. But don't tell Cisco. Or anybody, about any of this. "

"Why not?"

Dr. Wells sighed again. "I've done some terrible things. Things the others will not forgive me for."

"What things?"

"I can't tell you. You'd turn from me if I did. I can't- I can't risk losing you."

"What-why?"

"Isn't it obvious? The one thing I told myself was to not get attached. To me, all of you have been dead for centuries. Yet, I could not help but be attached to you. You're smarter than you'd like to believe, more beautiful than you think an you're just so- so you." Dr. Wells sighed again. "This wasn't how I meant to ask, but will you go out with me?

"Like, on a date?"

"Yes, like on a date."

"I'd be happy to, Reverse-Flash."

"Call me Harrison."

"Okay… Harrison."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short Ch. Stuff happens.

"You lied to us! How could you not tell us you're experiencing dizzy spells! God knows what's going on inside your body! You could be experiencing a cardiopulmonary failure or transient ischemic attack!" Prattled Caitlin, hardly stopping to draw breath.

Barry looked a question at Dr. Wells.

"Mini-stroke. Probably not." Answered Wells.

 _Shouldn't he know what a mini-stroke is if he's a CSI?_  Britney asked mentally.

 _It's probably because a mini-stroke is usually nonfatal._  Replied Azriella.

Caitlin was yelling again. "-of all people should know that in science, we share. We do NOT keep secrets." She stalked away.

"Wow, I haven't seen anyone make her that angry since Ronnie." Cisco said as he passed off his tablet to Dr. Wells and went after her.

"What about me?" Called Britney.

"What about you?" Barry asked.

"Surely, I can do annoying better than you." Britney snapped playfully, but also a touch bitterly.

"Enough." Said Dr. Wells- Harrison.

"Ronnie was Caitlin's fiancé?" Inquired Barry, apparently trying to change the subject.

"Yes, he is sorely missed." Harrison turned to face Barry again. "Let's figure out why this is happening to you.

"How much you wanna bet it's something really simple like he's not eating enough.

"Let's not get our hopes up." Said Harrison.

(Time Jump)

"We're all set." Cisco told Barry.

Barry looked doubtfully at the STAR Labs cardboard boxes.

"Little padding. Just in case." Cisco informed him.

"You sure about this, Cisco?" Barry called as he approached the treadmill.

Britney tuned out for a second as Cisco replied.  _What am I doing here again? It's not like I'm of any use._

_You're here because otherwise you would be training and Harrison insisted on being there next time._

_Oh, yeah_. Britney blushed a little at the memory.

 _Pay attention, hopeless_. Azriella told her, exasperatedly, yet fondly.

As Barry blurred into speed, Harrison mimed an "And go" motion at him. He was, to Britney's surprise, smiling like a delighted child.

 _He's so pretty_. She thought dreamily.

 _Focus_. Azriella replied.

"Heartbeat, blood pressure, nerve conduction all normal." Caitlin rattled off.

"For Barry." Harrison interjected.

"Brainwave function within standard limits." Caitlin continued.

Harrison closed his eyes momentarily in irritation. "Caitlin, look at the glucose levels."

"Oh, wow, it was so obvious!" Caitlin said.

"So obvious  _I called it_." Muttered Britney.

Harrison cast her an amused look before switching on the intercom, "Barry, we think we know why you keep-"

There was a dull thump as Barry hit the padding. Britney covered her face with her hands as she tried not to laugh.

"Passing out." Harrison continued.  
"I passed out again?" Barry asked as he came to several hours later.

"Total metabolic failure brought on by acute hypoglycemia."

"I'm not eating enough." Barry realized.

"Called it!" Britney said in a sing song voice from the elevator as she came back from yet another burger run.

"So, an IV bag and I'm good to go. Barry said, ignoring her. Cisco laughed and turned him toward the empty IV bags.

"Try 40. Guess you were thirsty." Said Harrison as Britney handed him a to-go cup full of coffee to replace his nearly empty mug. "Thank you, Britney."

"We need to fashion you a new diet based on your metabolic changes." Caitlin said as she went to work.

"I've done a few calculations. You need to consume an amount equal to roughly 850 tacos. Unless we're talking cheese and guac, which is like, a whole other set of equations." Cisco told him.

"For Mexican, I recommend Tito's on Bruckner Avenue. Best burrito in the city." West stated as he walked in.  
 _Uh-oh_. Britney thought as she quickly dropped the food on the table and fled. She could hear the warning note of I-am-the-parent-and-you-done-fucked-up in his voice.  _I am such a coward._

 _Trust me, you do NOT want to see the family drama about to go down._  Azriella informed her _. Go read a book, Harrison will get you when it's time to train._


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kisses and Conversation

“Sorry,” Caitlin said. “The abrasions are already rapidly healing.” She continued to dab at Barry’s wounds.

 

“You got blood on my suit.” called Cisco.

 

“I think some of it belongs to him.” Barry snapped. “Another not-so-friendly metahuman.”

 

“Danton Black.” Dr. Wells- Harrison- said.   
  


“Apparently Stagg stole his research and then fired him.” Caitlin was saying.

 

Britney watched as Cisco and the others continued talking, but only had eyes for Harrison.  _ He was so pretty when he was focused on something. _ She thought happily.

 

“Today was a setback, Barry, but any grand enterprise has them.” Harrison was saying.

 

“This wasn’t a grand enterprise Dr. Wells, this was a mistake.” Barry left.

 

As soon as he was gone, Britney said, “I thought the motto of all great scientists was to try, then fail better. Where does Barry get off giving up after two days?”

 

“Leave him alone, Britney!” Caitlin said.

 

Britney scowled, then walked away. Harrison hadn’t even defended her entirely valid point. She wasn’t sure she should be defended. Why the heck was she so jealous of a stupid metahuman speedster anyway?

 

(Page Break)

 

Britney had chosen to accompany Harrison to the precinct, for appearances. Harrison wasn’t really talking to her, and she was mildly mopey about it. Had she done something completely irreparable to their fledgling relationship already? Was Harrison going to leave her before they even had their first date?

 

“Britney.” Harrison spoke for the first time since they had driven over, once they were in the elevator. “You did nothing wrong. Joe is to blame for this, and I fully intend to speak to him. I’m just a little distracted right now.”

 

Britney smiled slightly, “You always know what to say, Dr. Wells.”

 

Harrison looked over at her with mock severity. “I thought I told you to call me Harrison, Britney.”

 

“Sorry, Harrison. I just thought you might not like it when we’re in public.” Britney said.

“As much as I appreciate your consideration, Britney,” He said as the elevator dinged, “Don’t call me Dr. Wells.”

 

She hid behind Harrison as he made his grand entrance, clapping at Simon Stagg’s bravado and brash words. She smirked at his snide remark about Stagg being a pretender, then frowned as Stagg told Harrison, “Don’t get up!”

 

Harrison laughed mockingly. Simon looked behind him and smirked. “I see you’re still going after young people, Harrison.”

 

Britney frowned, and wanted to snark back at him, but before she could, Harrison was saying something about Stagg going after other people’s research. 

 

Stagg looked uncomfortable and left.

 

“Another fan of yours, Doctor?” Joe asked. 

 

“Can we talk, Detective?” Harrison replied.

 

Britney offered to get the two coffee while they spoke. She left, but arrived just as Harrison was saying, “And for the record, I care about him too.”

 

Harrison left, with Britney trailing behind. As they got into the car, with Britney driving, of course, Harrison spoke. 

 

“I hope you’re not worried about what Stagg said about young people.” Harrison said.

 

“Naw, I know I’m a young person.” Britney joked.

 

Harrison turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow. “That’s not what I meant.”

 

“What did he mean, exactly, that you go after young people?” Britney asked, honestly curious.

 

“...I may have had relations with some of the people who built the particle accelerator. One in particular was a young man named Hartley Rathaway.” 

 

“Oh, so you’re… bisexual?” Britney asked.

 

“It was strictly business between us. Hartley worked best with people who saw him as special, and in trying to make him think he was special, I slept with him, please tell me you’re not mad.” Harrison said.

 

Britney frowned. “Why would I be mad? You and I weren’t a thing back then.”

“And you’re not mad about the… bisexuality?” Harrison asked.

 

“Nope. That would be dumb.”

 

Harrison looked at her.

 

“I’m, uh, bi too.” Britney rubbed her neck awkwardly.

 

“I don’t deserve you.” Harrison said, staring at her with adoring eyes.

 

“Nonsense, I-” Harrison’s lips were suddenly on hers. It felt much like lightning in her body, but it was over far too quickly.

 

“I apologize. I should have asked first.” Harrison said.

 

“Well, if you wanted to do that again sometime soon, I wouldn’t mind.” Britney said a little breathlessly. 

 

Harrison smiled. “You’re so beautiful.”

 

“Thank you Harrison, you’re beautiful too.” Britney said, face warming. 

 

“We should get back to STAR Labs.” Harrison said gently.

 

“Of course, I’ll do that right now.” Britney turned to the wheel and drove them to STAR Labs safely. 

 

Caitlin was standing by Danton Black when they got in. 

 

“How?” Britney asked.

 

“I grew him.” Caitlin said.

 

“Of course you did.” Harrison said. “Have you spoken to Barry?” 

 

“I was just about to call him.” Caitlin said cheerfully.


	6. Chapter 6: Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Britney finds out about Harrison.

After Multiplex was dealt with, Britney and Harrison took to the roof.

 

“So, are we here to train?” Britney asked excitedly.

 

“Not precisely.” Harrison replied, then led Britney out to the roof proper. There was a piece of the roof, tucked between the glass and the metal structure, where a candlelit dinner awaited them.

 

“Oh, this is beautiful!” Britney exclaimed. 

 

“Yeah, it’s beautiful, but I, I need to tell you some things.” Harrison said.

 

“Ok…” Britney said.

 

Harrison pulled out a chair for her, then took his own seat, like a perfect gentleman. He then took covers off of two plates, a steak dinner for each of them, cooked medium rare, just the way Britney liked it.

 

“What’s going on?” Britney asked. “You’re acting like you did something and now you need my forgiveness or some shit.”

 

Harrison was looking anywhere but at Britney, then said, “I have some things to confess. But first I need to tell you that I love you.”

 

Britney smiled. “I love you too, Harrison.”

 

“We’ll see.” Harrison said, then continued, “I killed Simon Stagg last night.”

 

“What? Why?” Britney asked.

 

“That’s a bit complicated.” Harrison began.

 

Britney refused to budge. “I have all night.”

 

“...I told you that I was from the future, right?”

 

“Right.”

 

“Well, in order to get back to the future, I need to harness Barry’s speed. Stagg would have gone after Barry and killed him. I needed Barry alive.” Harrison was now looking down at the tablecloth in shame, but Britney was having none of it.

 

“So, you killed a guy, who was going to kill another guy?” Britney asked.

 

“Yes.” Harrison’s answer seemed torn out of him.

 

“Then I don’t care, shall we eat?” Britney asked.

 

“There’s more.” Harrison said.

 

“Scared of that.” Britney joked.

 

“I killed Barry’s mother.” Harrison was still not looking at her.

 

“Why?” Britney asked.

 

“Because I hate him.”

 

“Oh, good, me too.” Britney said in mock relief.

 

“I’m serious.” Harrison was now looking at Britney.

 

“So am I.” Britney said, then added, “I’m sure you had a good reason for killing Barry’s mother, just as I’m sure Stagg deserved to die. I’m not leaving you, Harrison, so stop looking like you ran over my dog.”

 

“Thank you.” He rasped out.

 

“Good. Now are you going to kiss me or are we going to eat?” Britney asked.

 

Harrison grinned, “I think the better question is, what shall we do first?”


	7. Smut, Interrupted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I so love to tease. ;)

“Code 237 on Wade Blvd.” Cisco said.

“Public indecency?” Barry asked.

“Wait, I think I meant a 239.” Said CIsco, squinting.

“Dog leash violation?” Barry asked. 

“Bad man with a gun, in a getaway car, go!” Caitlin interrupted.

 

“What’s going on?” Britney asked by way of greeting. 

 

“Bad man with a gun in a getaway car. Duh!” Snapped Cisco.

 

“Sheesh, I was just asking!” Britney snapped back, then walked away.

 

She heard Harrison call out a greeting to her as she passed. She returned the greeting quickly, then kept walking to the STAR Labs bathroom. She quickly washed her face, knowing she was likely in trouble with Harrison again. She left the bathroom, only to almost run into Harrison. 

 

“Oh, hi! I was just thinking about you!” She said coyly.

“I’m sorry, Britney.” Harrison said.

 

Britney frowned. “What for?”

 

“Cisco shouldn’t have snapped at you like that.” Harrison said. 

 

“I shouldn’t have snapped back. My therapist is trying to get me to stop doing that.” Britney said, then asked, “Why didn’t Cisco come to apologize?”

 

“Because I have something to show you.” Harrison wheeled away. Britney followed, intrigued.

 

They came to a blank stretch of wall. Harrison looked at her, then swiped a hand across the panels that Britney hadn’t even seen at first. They entered a white room full of hemispheres, with a white podium at the far end of the room. Britney looked around in amazement. 

 

“I take it Cisco and the others don’t know about thi-” Harrison’s lips were on hers. She kissed back as best she could, having had little experience, but also having googled how to kiss since last night. 

 

Harrison pulled away. “You’ve improved.” He growled, red lightning sparking in his eyes. 

 

“I- I might have googled how to kiss better.” Britney said breathlessly, her knees suddenly weak.

 

“Good.” Harrison pulled away and put some distance between them, like he didn’t trust himself around her. “I was afraid I was going to have to kill someone.” He continued in the growling voice.

 

“In any event,” He continued, “I have keyed this place to open at your DNA. Also, if you ever need help, GIdeon is here to assist you. Gideon?”

 

“Yes, Dr. Wells?” A disembodied, but bright female voice responded. 

 

“This is Britney.”

 

“Hi.” Said Britney, still a little breathless. 

 

“You have good taste, if I may say so, Dr. Wells.” Gideon responded. 

 

Britney went scarlet. 

 

“Please don’t flirt with my girl, Gideon.” Harrison said.

 

“I- I don’t really mind.” Said Britney.

“Oh, but I do.” Harrison growled, facing Britney. That was the only warning Britney got before being pinned to one of the walls. Harrison’s mouth on hers, his tongue demanding entrance, which she readily gave, moaning slightly.

 

“Dr. Wells!” Cisco’s voice came from the PA box. “We need you in the Cortex.”

 

Harrison backed off a pace, breathing hard. 

 

“Dr. Wells!” 

 

Harrison moved to the podium, then pressed the button. “We’re coming, Cisco.” He said. THen held his hand out to Britney. 

 

“Shall we?” He said.

 

“We shall.” Britney said, still out of sorts. Harrison grinned, then settled into his chair, and wheeled out. Britney followed on shaky knees.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plot. Not much else.  
> Barry is not really an ass in this chapter, thank the lords of writing for that.

“Fascinating, a metahuman that can manipulate poison gas.” Harrison said.

 

“Is it only gas, or can he control all aerated substances?” said Cisco.

 

“And how is he able to formulate the connection, is it physiological or psychological?” asked Cailtlin.

 

“This individual can create a mental nexus using gaseous substances.” said Harrison excitedly.

 

“You mean connect to gases on a molecular level?” 

 

“Yes.” 

 

“That is insanely cool.” said Cisco.

 

“They get really excited about this stuff.” Said Barry.

 

“The only thing I’m excited about is putting bad guys behind bars.” Joe snapped wearily.

 

Britney just stayed quiet in her corner and let the scientists do their job. She might have also been discreetly watching her boyfriend. Or maybe not so discreetly.

 

“Except Iron Heights isn’t exactly equipped to handle metahumans.” Joe said, bringing her to the present.

 

“Then, I guess it’s fortunate that the metahumans we have encountered so far are no longer with us.” snarked Harrison.

 

“Yeah, but unless we plan on executing every metahuman we come across, you geniuses are gonna have to find a way to hold them.” Joe remarked.

 

“A metahuman prison, sweet.” Cisco said.

 

“And also highly illegal.” Britney said, thinking out loud.

 

The others turned to stare at her. 

 

“What?” She asked.

 

“There is one place here that could maybe hold them.” Said Cisco, probably trying to make up for earlier.

 

Caitlyn and Dr. Wells stared at him now. 

 

“You can’t be serious.” Demanded Caitlyn. “I mean, we haven’t been down there since- It’s cordoned off!”

 

“Cisco is right. It could be modified to act as a makeshift prison.” said Dr. Wells reluctantly, twisting his mouth in a way that indicated slight displeasure.

 

“What could?” Asked Barry, irritated, but also lost because he was a dumbass, but maybe that was Britney’s bias.

 

“The particle accelerator.” replied Harrison.

 

Caitlyn stared into space, apparently lost in unpleasant memories. 

 

Harrison called for her attention. She finally responded by turning her head to face him.

 

“We’re going down to the accelerator ring.” He said, not unkindly.

 

“Actually, Dr. Wells, I could use Caitlyn’s help in identifying the toxin used to kill the victims.” Barry said, still looking at Caitlyn. 

 

Maybe he’s not a complete dumbass after all. Britney thought.

“If that’s ok with you?” Barry asked Caitlyn.

 

“Let’s go.” she replied.

  
  
  
  
  



End file.
